History

“

Watch the skies, General. We're going to put on an air show!- General Malcolm Granger

”

Granger himself utilized King Raptors as part of the defense of his base. Generals who faced him could expect to see flights of these aircraft overhead; indeed, Granger would welcome prospective opponents with a flyover by multiple King Raptors. Opponents facing Granger could expect frequent King Raptor raids, as Granger could deploy them from five airfields which he possessed. If needed, Granger could also call in reinforcements from an aircraft carrier, the USS Olympia.[1]General Leang, a high-ranking Chinese general, also had access to King Raptors, as well as Chinese MiGs. However, she did not generally use them against any opponents attempting to attack her base.[2]

Description

A King Raptor in flight

The King Raptor received engine modifications from the original version which allowed it to utilize a sturdier fuselage as well as carry more armament. This was considered an improvement on the original Raptor, which was perceived as thin-skinned.[3] King Raptors, much like the standard Raptor, were a relatively small fighter jet with twin engines, two vertical tails canted outward, and with a delta-wing. They were distinguished from regular Raptors by dark gray shading on the rudders, elevators, ailerons, and across the leading edge of the wing and fuselage.[4]

Each King Raptor was equipped with six missiles that could be used against air or ground targets, as well as twin point defense laser modules that could destroy hostile missiles. They also detected stealth units. Much like standard Raptors, they required one slot at any airfield. King Raptors could also reload expended ammunition quickly in a matter of a few seconds. If a King Raptor with an experienced pilot was shot down, the pilot would eject and parachute to the ground.[4]

Upgrades

King Raptors could be equipped with laser-guided missiles, which added a 12.5% damage to each missile. When equipped with laser-guided missiles, a single King Raptor could destroy a light-armored vehicle such as a Humvee in one attack run.[5][6] Another upgrade that could be applied to King Raptors were countermeasures. These devices allowed all aircraft equipped with them to avoid roughly 50% of missiles fired at the planes. The upgrade also served to reduce the damage sustained in general from other weapon types.[7] Both of those upgrades are obtainable from an airfield. Raptor pilots could also receive advanced training from a Strategy Center, which allowed them to achieve veterancy twice as fast.[8]

Usage

“

Contrary to the other USA armies’ raptors, the USAF’s king raptor is an attack force all alone. Since it has quite good armour, a dual PDL (like an avenger) and can inflict a godlike amount of damage with its missiles that can [destroy] any unit and structure in the game.- Gamereplays.org Tip of the Week discussing King Raptors, [9]

”

A single King Raptor could destroy any faction's basic tank. Two of them could destroy a common anti-air vehicle, such as a Quad cannon, Gatling Tank, or even an Avenger. In the case of an Avenger, the two Raptors would preferably be firing in close succession due to the Avenger's own point-defense laser.[10] In fact, a pair of King Raptors could destroy any ground unit, up to and including the Overlord tank; however, they did have difficulty countering ECM tanks.[11] King Raptors were also capable of destroying most other types of aircraft, including large helicopters such as Chinooks and Helixes in a single run.[10] The exception to this was that a single King Raptor could not destroy an Aurora on an inbound flight or another King Raptor.[12]

Due to their six missiles, King Raptors could be used to kill up to three dozers in a single run, with proper micro-management, as dozers each require two missiles to kill. This also indicates that a single King Raptor could also destroy three Rocket Buggies in a single run.[13] Commanders were advised that sometimes King Raptors would not fire all of their missiles in single pass, necessitating a second attack run.[14]

King Raptors could also be used to target buildings. The number of King Raptors without upgrades and veterancy needed to destroy a given building varied depending on the building.[15]

The King Raptor could also be ordered to protect an area using two modes. The first would order the jet to target all units within a specific patrol region, while the second would order pilots to only launch their missiles at approaching hostile air units. Furthermore, due to their point-defense lasers, King Raptors could be used defensively to deflect hostile missiles being fired at friendly forces, including missiles launched from an A-10 strike.[10] Since their lasers had considerable range and King Raptors each had two of them, they could be used to screen other friendly units from missile strikes even after expending all of their ordnance.[16]

Though King Raptors required an airfield to rearm and refuel from, the loss of an airfield did not necessarily mean the loss of the aircraft if it was in midair. Using waypoint commands, a commander could set a long series of waypoints to keep the King Raptor in the air on a given flight path until a new airfield could be constructed. Otherwise, the planes would either fall from the sky, hover near the location of their former airfield while slowly losing health until they died, or heading for the nearest allied Airfield.[10]

Counters

“

THIS IS IT!- A King Raptor gunned down

”

King Raptors were vulnerable while on the ground to any form of non-rocket damage. While it was possible to minimize the time spent on the airfield, they nevertheless could be easily destroyed while reloading or taking off. For the GLA, massed Quad Cannons could defeat King Raptors cost-effectively, and technicals loaded with terrorists could attempt to slip behind USA lines to perform suicide attacks on the airfields on which King Raptors were dependent.[4] Chinese commanders could use Gatling Tanks, Gatling Cannons, and ECM tanks as effective counters to King Raptors.[17]General Shin Fai and his hordes of elite Mini-Gunners also could easily bring down Raptors; while standard Chinese Red Guards and Tank Hunters were ineffective against King Raptors, Mini-Gunners carried weapons that could effectively target aircraft.[18] The Chinese EMP Pulse could also disable Raptors in-flight, knocking them out of the sky. Black Lotus can steal their air fields in a short time, even when moving. For USA commanders faced with King Raptors, the Avenger was an effective counter, though it was expensive and required a Strategy Center to be present on the battlefield. The Laser defense turrets of General Townes and EMP Patriots of General Alexis Alexander were also effective against King Raptors, though the former were far more lethal, as multiple EMP Patriots would be needed to penetrate the protection of the King Raptor's point defense lasers. They were also unable to hit infantry on the move, no matter how many king raptors fired (although slow infantry like Terrorists and rocket infantry would be killed by a King Raptor) so Pathfinders are used as support for the planes. They are destroyed if the Airfield is destroyed, captured or sold.[4]